Alex Sobel MP raised several valuable points during a recent session of the Environmental Audit Committee at a Cambridge Outreach Event surrounding Biodiversity in British Overseas Teritories.
Alex quizzed a panel from The Government of South Georgia & The Sandwich Islands, The British Antarctic Survey, UK Territories Overseas Territories Conservation Forum and The RSPB; regarding the safety and security of UK overseas environments amid the arrival of non-native species of plants and animals in British Overseas Territories after Brexit. He asked about ways we could reduce the impact and threat of these species.
He said:
“Where are the biggest weaknesses in terms of biodiversity in overseas territories and how do we legislate to protect these?”
“Should protection of biodiversity be built into EU law surrounding overseas territories?”
“What should the UK government do to minimise biosecurity risks in overseas projects?”
“What lessons have we learned from completed overseas projects and how can the government use what we’ve learned in future projects.”
This garnered an engaged and positive response among academics on the committee and those in the audience. Bill Sutherland, an academic whose field is using data to manage conservation, took to Twitter to praise Alex for his “thoughtful further questions.”